I did my MD from University College London and developed strong bases for research by working as a research fellow and lecturer in respiratory medicine. My research project was entitled “Use of DNA probes and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to detect mycobacterial DNA in tuberculosis and sarcoidosis”. I saw patients at University College London Hospitals, carried out bronchoscopy and took clinical samples. Laboratory based research was carried out in the molecular biology laboratory of Surrey University, Guildford, Surrey. I was one of pioneer researchers in this field to develop mycobacterial DNA probes, developed PCR to amplify mycobacterial DNA and applied to clinical samples. The work resulted in grant of MD degree from University of London in 1995.

Since moving into clinical medicine I did not have a chance to do basic research but have carried out numerous audits and kept up to date by attending national and international conferences. I encouraged my juniors to carry our audit projects during their stay with my firm and help them publish abstracts. I am a referee to the National Institute of Health Research Grant applications.